Q&A with Kent Bennett from the LA Department of Children & Family Services

Foster Love – Together We Rise is able to reach foster youth because of our amazing foster agency partners across the United States. A secondary goal of our mission is to uplift and educate people about what is actually happening within the foster care community. What are the real issues and how can we come together to positively impact foster youth? We had a Q&A with Kent Bennett to answer these questions.

As we reflect on Social Worker Appreciation Month, we were fortunate to chat with our longtime friend Kent Bennett from the LA Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Kent is a Supervising Children’s Social Worker and has been serving the community through the LA Department of Children and Family Services for 23 years! Together we have helped children in LA County benefit from various donations including our Sweet Cases, Teen Bags, gift cards, bicycles, and school supplies.

Social workers are the backbone of the foster care community, they are the guardians and protectors of our most vulnerable. Here is a personal look at Kent’s experiences.

Q. Why Do You Choose to Work with the Foster Care Community?

Q. What are the Biggest Needs You have Identified Within the Foster Care Community?

A. The biggest needs I have identified within the foster care community are more homes needed to care for the “At Risk” youth who are hard to place due to Sexuality, CSEC, Drug, and Gang Involvement.

Q. What Inspires You to Get Up and Work Every Day?

A. What inspires me to get up and work every day is that I want to make a difference in today’s society and give back.

Q. How can People Help Kids in Foster Care?

A. People can help kids in foster care by giving donations that would go to a worthy cause. People can also, open up their homes and become foster parents or become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).

Q. What is the Greatest Thing You’ve Learned Since Working in the Foster Care Community?

A. The greatest thing I’ve learned in the foster care community is that no one is perfect and that everyone needs support.

Q. Any Advice for People Who Want to Become Foster Parents?

A. My advice for anyone who wants to become a foster parent is to join a foster care support group (Foster Family Agency or on Facebook), to gain a better perspective on how to manage a child/youth who comes into their home with a different upbringing to learn how to better support the child/youth. Also, I have noticed over the years that African American girls who are placed in foster homes from a different culture in that their needs (hair), are not being met. Different cultures have different hairstyles and more resources have to go into how to care for their individual hairstyle so that the child isn’t teased and loses confidence etc.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, we would like to thank Kent for his dedication to helping children through the Department of Children & Family Services. He truly is a leader in the foster care space and we are humbled to call him a friend.